Digital Branch of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Oral History Program

Wesley "Uġiaqtaq" Aiken

Wesley Uġiaqtaq Aiken is an Iñupiaq elder from Utqiaġvik, Alaska (formerly known as Barrow). He was born in Barrow in 1926 to Johnny and Lucy Aiken, and grew up near Cape Halkett until the age of twelve when the family returned to Barrow. Living a traditional subsistence lifestyle, Wesley learned to hunt seals at a young age, which included knowing how to safely travel and survive on the sea ice. At age fourteen, Wesley began whaling under the guidance of Ned Nusunginya and James Qiugaq, where he learned about different ice conditions and hunting practices. Eventually, Wesley became a whaling captain himself, but lost all of his whaling equipment during a major ice event in 1957. Wesley served in the Alaska Territorial Guard starting in 1943, and in the Alaska National Guard from 1953 to 1970. In terms of employment, he worked for Arctic Contractors from 1947 to 1952 as a truck driver and heavy equipment operator, helped fight for Iñupiat land claims in the 1970s during the effort to pass the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), was the first land chief for Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC) when it incorporated in 1973, and then went on to work for and oversee the Lands Department at Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) until his retirement around 1991. He also has served on the North Slope Borough's Iñupiat History, Language and Culture Commission (IHLC). Although 91 years old, Wesley continues to willingly share his knowledge of Iñupiaq culture and history, whaling and sea ice, and what he has observed of the changing environment during his lifetime.

Date of Birth:

Jan 25, 1926

Wesley "Uġiaqtaq" Aiken appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Wesley Uġiaqtaq Aiken was interviewed on June 3, 2017 by Karen Brewster and Craig George at his home in Utqiaġvik, Alaska (formerly known as Barrow). In this first part of a two part interview, Wesley talks about learning to hunt and understand ice conditions. He discusses hunting seals, in particular how to set a net at their breathing holes on the ice. He also talks about changes in the thickness of the ice and how this has affected the development of pressure ridges. He tells some stories about people getting caught out on drifting ice, as well as shares his personal experience with getting caught in fast moving and piling ice and losing all his whaling equipment in 1957.

This is the continuation of an interview with Wesley Uġiaqtaq Aiken on June 3, 2017 by Karen Brewster and Craig George at his home in Utqiaġvik, Alaska (formerly known as Barrow). In this second part of a two part interview, Wesley continues to share his knowledge of and experiences on the shorefast ice near Barrow. He talks about various ice phenomena, including: pressure ridges (ivuniq), ice shearing (agiukpak), floating ice chunks (puktallak), ice add-on (iiguaq), and rotten ice (aunniq). He also discusses ice conditions during recent years of whaling, the importance of watching the current and checking for cracks, his personal experience with drifting out on the ice, and what young people today should know when traveling on the sea ice.